Dice-box



(No Model.)

Er GREGORY.

I DICE BOX. No. 528,428. Patented Oct. 30, 1894.

By WWW/3% NITED STATE PATENT EUGENE GREGORY, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

DICE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 528,428, dated October 30, 1894.

Application filed February 1 '7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE GREGORY, a citizen'of the United States, residing at Ann Arbor,county of Washtenaw, State of Michigan, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Dice-Boxes; andIdeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved dice box, and has for its object improvements in the form and construction 0t the box or re ceptacle in which dice are shaken preparatory to being exposed, in their use in connection with games of various kinds; the object being to produce a box in which dice may be shaken and turned, and in which they may be afterward exposed without removing them from the interior of the box. The box consists primarily of a stand, at the upper end of which is a small flat or tabular surface large enough to readily contain as many dice as it may be desired to use, and surrounded by a raised rim,'thus forming, as it were, a cup with a bottom fiat or tabular on its inner side. Surrounding the cup is a hood made in two or more parts, each part hinged to the support in such manner that when not held together by the hand of the operator, the hood parts separate or split and fall apart, exposing the tabular inner part of the cup to view, but which are easily closed together and held in a closed position by the user when he desires to shake and turn the contained dice.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the dice box in its closed position. Fig. 2 shows itin its open position. Fig. 3 shows the box finished with a hemispherical top.

A indicates the stem or standard, arranged to form a foot-piece for the cup, to the upper end of which is secured a shallow flat-bottomed cup B, having the flat or ta'bular bot- 1894, Serial No. 500,515. (Nomodeh) circular piece d, d; or the entire half of the hood may be formed in the shape of a quarter of a sphere. At the contiguous edges and at the lower side, each hood-piece is secured by pins or other analogous hinging devices to the table at the upper end of the foot-piece A. When closed, the two semi-cylinders close together in the form of a cylindrical cap above the cup within which the dice are to be placed,

and they can easily be brought to this closedposition by grasping the two sides of-the hood or cap-piece between the thumb and fingers of the user, and, when released, they drop into the open position, exposing the dice contained within them to view.

The hood pieces are generally made of thin material, generally of thin metal; and I prefor to provide each hood-piece with astop e, e, so arranged that the two'stops e, e, engage when the hood-pieces are brought together, and prevent one from sliding over or telescoping over the other. The same result would be produced by using thicker material from which to make the hood pieces; but I prefer to make the hood-pieces of thin material with the stops specified.

In use, the operator places the dice within the cup, grasps the two hood-pieces in his hand, and shakes the box containing the dice; then, setting the box down, the hood pieces drop away, disclosing the dice to view.

When the box is finished with a hemi spherical top, as shown in Fig. 3, the lugs e and e may be omitted, as there is little or no liability of the two halves of the'cover telescoping or failing to engage at the proper place.

What I claim isv 1. In a dicebox, the combination of a footpiece terminating in a table at its upper end, and a covering hood made in parts adapted to be closed by the hand of the operator and to drop apart to disclose the interior of the box when not so closed.

2. In a dice box, the combination of a footpiece terminating at its upper end with a table, a flange surrounding said table, and a hood made in parts adapted to close over and conceal said table and to open and disclose said table.

3. In a dice box, the combination of a flanged table, a hood made in parts hinged to said table and adapted to move from a position of ICO closure to a. position of disclosure of said In testimony whereof I sign this specificatiblemndstopslimiting the closing movemert tion in the presence of two witnesses. 0 said hood pieces, substantial yas describe T 4. In a dice box, the combination of a flanged EUGENE GREGORS 5 table, and a, hood made in two parts closing WVitnesses:

together in the form of a hemisphere, substan- CHARLES F. BURTON, tially as described. FRANCES CLOUGH. 

